Backhoes and similar excavators are used for a variety of material handling and excavation functions. Excavators of this type generally include an articulated arm mounted on a ground supported frame, and a hammer, bucket assembly, or like implement pivotally mounted to the distal end of the arm. Hydraulic fluid actuators provide selective movement of the arm and hammer or bucket assembly for performing a wide variety of breaking, digging and scooping operations. Such equipment is quite versatile and can be used for a great variety of construction endeavors and like material handling operations.
The working action of excavators of this nature typically involves breaking, scooping or curling movement. Therefore, without the use of specialized attachments, these excavators are not readily used for gripping or grasping objects. Efficient gripping and moving of objects requires a gripping or claw-like working action. Due to the added versatility which a working action of this nature provides, hydraulically actuated clamping arms are frequently installed on the articulated arms of the backhoe or excavator.
Clamping arm assemblies of this nature typically include a pivotally mounted clamping arm which is movable into and out of cooperation with the hammer tool, the bucket, or other implement of the machine to readily facilitate gripping objects with a claw-like working action. For added versatility, some clamping assemblies include removable mounting plates which allow the ready transfer of the assembly from one piece of machinery to another. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,345, filed July 23, 1981, illustrates one such removable clamping arm assembly which has proven particularly convenient to mount and use.
While the above-described gripping assemblies enhance the versatility of a backhoe or like excavator, their use in cooperation with a hydraulic hammer or like implement can be problematic. Because such hammers typically include a pointed hammer bit or tool, grasping objects between the clamping arm and hammer bit can be difficult, if not impossible, particularly when the objects to be moved are irregularly shaped. Naturally, the hammer bit must be configured for efficient performance of its primary breaking function, and thus providing a bit which is better suited for claw-like cooperation with the clamping arm is not practical.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a movable gripping arm associated with the hydraulic hammer or like implement of an excavator for use in cooperation with a clamping arm. Such a gripping arm assembly facilitates the gripping and moving of irregularly shaped objects as well as improving the handling of regular shaped objects.